Narrative:

Our local management; in an effort to decrease coordination errors; has implemented a requirement to record all coordination between local control/tower and ground control/flight data. Unfortunately; this recording of coordination is cumbersome; awkward; time-consuming; and distracting -- particularly for local control; our busiest and most demanding position. We are using an override function to accomplish this and this can be very disruptive. It also often requires local control to return to the console to push a button; when a better use of local control's time might be looking out a window on the far side of the cabin attendant to spot an aircraft. Of course; when traffic in light; this coordination is easily accomplished and offers some limited benefits. However; as both local controllers and ground control's/flight data's workload increases; the limited benefits are quickly outweighed by the decrease in safety and awareness that the recording process involves. Funny thing is; the FAA considers an FM radio playing softly in the backgnd completely unacceptable; but an override in your ear is perfectly acceptable. As far as I know; there is no national requirement to record all this; only to the extent practical! And it is not practical to record these coords during busy traffic. To require this; results in unnecessary distrs decreasing safety!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STS CONTROLLERS EXPRESS CONCERN REGARDING NEW PROCEDURE REQUIRING CONTROLLERS TO RECORD RELIEF BRIEFINGS; ALLEGING PROCEDURE IS NOT PRACTICAL AND AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION.

Narrative: OUR LOCAL MGMNT; IN AN EFFORT TO DECREASE COORD ERRORS; HAS IMPLEMENTED A REQUIREMENT TO RECORD ALL COORD BTWN LCL CTL/TWR AND GND CTL/FLT DATA. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS RECORDING OF COORD IS CUMBERSOME; AWKWARD; TIME-CONSUMING; AND DISTRACTING -- PARTICULARLY FOR LCL CTL; OUR BUSIEST AND MOST DEMANDING POSITION. WE ARE USING AN OVERRIDE FUNCTION TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND THIS CAN BE VERY DISRUPTIVE. IT ALSO OFTEN REQUIRES LCL CTL TO RETURN TO THE CONSOLE TO PUSH A BUTTON; WHEN A BETTER USE OF LCL CTL'S TIME MIGHT BE LOOKING OUT A WINDOW ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE CAB TO SPOT AN ACFT. OF COURSE; WHEN TFC IN LIGHT; THIS COORD IS EASILY ACCOMPLISHED AND OFFERS SOME LIMITED BENEFITS. HOWEVER; AS BOTH LCL CTLRS AND GND CTL'S/FLT DATA'S WORKLOAD INCREASES; THE LIMITED BENEFITS ARE QUICKLY OUTWEIGHED BY THE DECREASE IN SAFETY AND AWARENESS THAT THE RECORDING PROCESS INVOLVES. FUNNY THING IS; THE FAA CONSIDERS AN FM RADIO PLAYING SOFTLY IN THE BACKGND COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE; BUT AN OVERRIDE IN YOUR EAR IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE. AS FAR AS I KNOW; THERE IS NO NATIONAL REQUIREMENT TO RECORD ALL THIS; ONLY TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAL! AND IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO RECORD THESE COORDS DURING BUSY TFC. TO REQUIRE THIS; RESULTS IN UNNECESSARY DISTRS DECREASING SAFETY!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.